Jennifer J. Chow's Blog, page 68

Your Favorite Garden

“When weeding, destroy the roots.” -Chinese proverb

Baby bok choy

Dandelions. I remember pulling them out in our yard as a child, trying to yank out the entire plant, so they wouldn’t infiltrate our soft grass. We used the green expanse to throw around a football or pitch a baseball. Sometimes we were too lazy to deweed properly, so we just pulled out the bright colored petals. It doesn’t matter so much for lawns, but weeding a vegetable garden is another issue entirely.

I remember the impressive garden that my grandfather planted. Unable to buy Chinese vegetables at the local store, he decided to plant his own. (I recently heard about a children’s book, The Ugly Vegetables, that uses the same motive.) In my grandfather’s backyard, there were rows of fluffy green leaves, some budding with flowers, overtaking what used to be a swimming pool. The area felt like magic to me, a veritable jungle.

Nowadays, though, I don’t have to plant Chinese vegetables to enjoy them. Major chain stores like Ralphs and Albertsons carry napa, bok choy, and baby bok choy. I can also choose from a wider selection at 99 Ranch, an Asian market. If I want even fresher fare. my local farmers’ market has a seller devoted to Chinese vegetables, too.

What’s the best garden you’ve ever seen?

 

Foodie Friday: Steamed Tofu

Steamed stuffed tofu: silky, soft tofu floating in soy sauce

I really like tofu. I know there are people who can’t stand the texture or the taste, but I think it’s quite a versatile ingredient. In fact, I have a whole cookbook just featuring tofu recipes (thank you, Little Tokyo Service Center). Tofu tastes good stir-fried or deep-fried (that’s the way I like my stinky tofu; fried with a bit of dipping sauce).

One of my favorite recipes, though, is stuffed tofu (shrimp is ideal). I actually used to make a similar version at home, digging out the top of the tofu and putting in a fish mixture in the cavity. There’s something really simple but tasty about the stuffed tofu dish; I think it’s the combination of the silky texture with the flavorful sauce.

What’s a favorite simple dish that you enjoy?

Martial Arts Movies

“The sparrow may be small but it has all the vital organs.” -Chinese proverb

Although the sparrow is tiny (the smallest of the species weighs in at 0.47 oz with a length of 4.5 in), it has the essential body parts of an animal. Do not discount it.

In the same way, we sometimes go for the big, showy (read: new) technology. However, I revisited the good old VHS recently. My friend told me that Ten Things I Hate About You was one of her favorite romantic comedies. I hadn’t seen it, so I looked for it at the local library. I found it there–on VHS. (Thank goodness, I still have a VHS player in my home–yes, I’m odd.) It was a good movie with a stellar cast. Plus, I gave it extra stars for attempting to adapt “The Taming of the Shrew” to modern times.

For those too young to remember, it’s called a videotape.

I remember watching some of my favorite films on VHS. We watched martial arts movies during my childhood as our family bonding ritual. Here are my top 3 films from that time. Hopefully, you can find a copy today, on VHS or DVD:

1. Wong Fei Hung (Once Upon a Time in China): See Jet Li at his best, as physician/martial arts leader Wong Fei Hung. This is actually an entire series, but I like the first one the best. I lost count of the number of times I’ve seen it, and of course, I can always identity the opening bars of its distinctive soundtrack.

2. The Killer: Watch Chow Yun Fat before his more mellow roles in Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End. In the past, he played hard-edged characters wielding lots 0f firepower. He was also very good in the God of the Gamblers, which is apparently getting a new addition to the series in early 2014.

3. Twin Dragons: Jackie Chan always combined humor with his rapid kicks. In this film, you get double the Jackie Chan, since he plays twins.

What’s your favorite older film?

Foodie Friday: Tea

Tea: a beverage made from pouring hot water over cured leaves of the tea plant

My thoughts have turned to tea this Friday, thanks to a recent online chat with +Amy Pabalan. Now that Daylight Savings has made the evenings darker, I’m looking forward to a cup of the steaming beverage. Tea comes from an evergreen plant, camellia sinensis. The top 1-2 inches of the plant are picked and used to brew tea. Tea can range in color from white to black, depending on how long the leaves are left to oxidize prior to drying them (the less time, the lighter the hue).

The best way to drink tea is by brewing a teapot. Whole leaves often hold more flavor than those in teabags (although I like the latter for convenience). It has been said that you should rinse the tea leaves by boiling the first batch of tea leaves, throwing out that water, and then using a fresh infusion for drinking.

Here are my top three favorite teas:

1. Dragon Well (Long Jing) tea- a complex, pan-fried green tea. It’s produced near the West Lake in Zhejiang Province, China. It’s supposed to give off a subtly sweet taste with a chestnut flavor and was granted the status of “imperial tea” during the Qing dynasty. Dragon Well is supposed to contain high level of antioxidants, helping to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol levels, among other benefits.

2. Gok Boh tea- a blend of pu-ehr and chrysanthemum leaves. This is favorite beverage of mine when eating dim sum. If you’re lucky, you can see an actual chrysanthemum flower floating around in your teapot. The tea is a deep amber color with a smooth flavor and is popular in Hong Kong restaurants. Gok Boh is supposed to cool internal heat and help digest oily food.

3. Jasmine (Mut Lei) tea- a scented tea that gets its aroma from jasmine blossoms. I love both the flavor and the smell of this beverage. Usually, green tea is used as a base for this drink. The jasmine flowers are picked in the late afternoons while their petals are tightly closed. When evening comes and the flowers being to open, they are added to the tea. The process takes over four hours to add the scent to the tea–and may need to be repeated. Some studies have shown that jasmine may prevent cancer, and the relaxing scent often aids in sleep.

 

Smile!

A person without a smiling face should not open a shop. -Chinese proverb

My neighbor turned 100 years old! Her advice to a long life? Smiling. Actually, laughing. She says that she weathered life’s ups and downs with a dose of good humor.

Also, I was recently nominated for a blog award by Brittney (thanks!). The name of the award makes me smile: Sunshine Award. The rule is I have to answer eleven questions:

1.       What is your favorite vacation place? I really enjoyed visiting Italy when I went there. There’s great people, art, and food. What more could you ask for? Currently, though, Hawaii’s on my list of places to see again. This is due, in part, to Lori‘s great comments and posts about the island(s).

2.       What is your favorite dessert? In a nod to my answer above, I’m a sucker for a delicious tiramisu. And I really like dan tat (the dim sum egg custard) at all hours.

3.       What is your favorite season? We don’t have seasons in California, but if I had to pick one here, I’d settle for spring. That’s when there’s a nice temperature, and the flowers are bursting with color all around. If I went back to upstate New York, though (where I went to undergrad), I would choose winter. There’s something magical about watching snow falling in the glow of lamplight on a dark, still night.

4.       What is your favorite thing to do in your spare time? Reading, of course!

5.       Where would you like to live if you could choose anywhere? I really like California. I would love to explore the rest of the United States as well, particularly the South. I think the U.S. has such a great mix of scenery and cultures; I really envy friends who’ve done cross-country trips.

6.       What’s your favorite color? I’m partial to light blue and dark green, both calming colors.

7.       What’s the most exciting thing that has happened to you this year? Getting published! Second to that, having readers interact with me and compliment my book.

8.       Tell us something about yourself we might not already know? I used to own pet chickens.

9.       Do you have a pet? I have goldfish, courtesy of a stranger from the 626 Night Market.

10.   What’s your favorite kind of pet? I like ones that are soft and furry. I had a real affinity for dogs when I was a kid. Nowadays, I sometimes think about owning a hamster.

11.   What did you like doing the most when you were a kid? I liked imagining new worlds. I would strap on my backpack and put various things inside, so I could go on an adventure. Then, I would traverse couches and avoid dangerous obstacles to reach my destination.

As a recipient of the Sunshine Award, I’m supposed to refer to eleven other bloggers. Since I’ve already received this award (see sidebar), I’m going to ask the questions to my audience instead. Dear readers, feel free to answer any of the questions above or this one: What do you think is the secret to longevity?

Foodie Friday: Honey Walnut Shrimp

Honey walnut shrimp: battered shrimp with candied walnuts, served with a creamy sauce

Confession: I’m Americanized. Honey walnut shrimp is not by any means traditional Chinese fare. In fact, I was introduced to this dish in high school through a Caucasian friend. Nevertheless, I still love the contrast of tender shrimp with crunchy walnuts. I’m a big fan of nuts in general, so this dish satisfies my cravings. I actually like the nuts/meat combo in other forms, too, like cashew chicken.

What’s your favorite Chinese-American food?

 

Alternative Medicines

“Good medicine is bitter to the taste.” – Chinese proverb

It’s often true that medicine tastes bitter; that’s why cold remedies come packaged with flavors. My friend recently told me about a product called Yin Chao Jr. that has no taste to it. She uses it for herself and on her children at the first sign of a cold. She swears that it works for her family, often helping them bypass the cold altogether, or at least reducing the duration of their sickness. By the way, this post is in no way an endorsement of Yin Chao Jr. (which I’ve never tried), but my conversation with my friend reminded me of all the non-conventional medicines that I took while growing up:

1. Red medicine water: This was a little bottle that contained a red liquid. When I got injured, the medicine would be applied on my cuts. Unfortunately, the students and teachers at school often became alarmed at the bright color, thinking that I was bleeding.

2. Hit medicine (dit da jow): We kept this bottle of miracle solution in our closet. It held this secret concoction of herbal ingredients that we’d slather on our bruises. It really did help reduce the swelling, and it was exciting to know that martial artists had used this type of solution for healing, too.

3. White flower oil: This is highly potent smelling oil. Apparently, it contains lavender, eucalyptus, wintergreen, peppermint, camphor, and menthol. It was often used for tummy aches in my house. Also, whenever we became stuffed up, we’d place a drop right beneath our nostrils to clear up our noses.

4. Loquat syrup (pei pa koa): This bottle of viscous syrup comes packaged in a distinctive red box with Chinese lettering. It’s not bitter at all, tasting overly sweet instead. This stuff is amazing as it coats the throat, making it less sore. Unfortunately, I find that it only works momentarily and lasts a few minutes before fading away.

5. Po chai pills: These BB-like brown balls come in a clear vial. Often you need to take 20-30 balls for it to be effective. I always found these hard to swallow, and they were my last resort when I was experiencing indigestion.

What atypical medicine have you tried?

Foodie Friday: Taiwan Toast

Taiwan toast: sliced bread, with your choice of topping

Imagine the fluffiest, whitest bread you can find–and that’s Taiwan toast. It boasts a thick, square form that’s extremely soft (even the crusts melt in your mouth). True to its name, you pop it into the toaster to get it the proper crispy golden brown. Then the spread goes on top, things like Nutella, peanut butter, or anything your heart desires. In fact, it has been elevated into an art form of a dessert. I tried this kind at a local Taiwanese eatery; it’s coconut sweet butter toast, drizzled with chocolate.

And yes, it was very good.

 

Asian-Inspired Costumes

“A man is judged by his clothes, a horse by its saddle.” – Chinese proverb

We examine people based on their outward appearance. In fact, it’s been said that you have seven seconds to make a good first impression. Shakespeare, himself, said that “the apparel oft proclaims the man” (Hamlet: Act 1, Scene 3).

Autumn brings a bit of relief because we can be creative in our attire. Yes, it’s that time of the year when the wind nips at our cheeks, the leaves burst into color, and pumpkin spice floats in the air: costume season.

Let me detail my past history of costume attempts and then tell you about my top three Asian-inspired costumes. Here are some highlights in my dress-up resume, in semi-chronological order:

Wonder woman. You put on a mask, and bam, you’re an instant superhero! We had a bag of masks in our closet that we rotated every year, so that each kid (siblings and cousins) in our group could get a “new look” for Halloween.
Photographer. This was a last minute get-up when I realized that the school parade was happening that very day. It consisted of a long-wannabe-trench coat and my dad’s camera.
Belle (from Beauty and the Beast), bookworm style. I was inspired by my schoolmate who, the previous year, took a yellow towel and transformed herself into Snow White. It didn’t work so well for me; people kept stopping me and asking me who I was. Next time, perhaps a little more fancy golden ballgown and a little less blue-kitchen-apron-over-white-dress-shirt look?
Jasmine (the only Asian Disney princess at the time). I visited the local Salvation Army and looked around for items that would work. Do you think I pulled it off?

Now, my exciting list of top three Asian-inspired costumes:

Mulan. Thankfully, Disney finally portrayed a Chinese princess–and a warrior one to boot. (So what if the history isn’t exactly accurate?) You can buy the official Disney version at its branches, but like all Mickey Mouse’d items, it’s a tad pricey.
Chun-Li. Confession time: I really liked playing Street Fighter 2 as a child. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t any good and just jabbed at the buttons. I didn’t know the precise special codes, like “Back, Back/Down, Down, Forward/Down, Forward, Punch” for her fireball (thank you, www.gamewinners.com), but I adored Chun-Li’s upside-down helicopter kicks.
Boba. I actually saw a friend in this outfit. They re-created a plastic cup and straw and plastered multicolored fuzzy balls all over their body. You can see a similar version here, found on Lollicup’s Pinterest page.

What’s the best costume you’ve ever worn or seen?

Foodie Friday: Deep-Fried Char Siu

Deep-fried char siu: sweet roasted pork, fried

Instead of traditional barbecue meats, I’m a big fan of the triumvirate of Chinese BBQ: roast duck, roast pork, and char siu. They’re all very flavorful. Char siu, often marinaded with a bright red sauce, appears in those delicious buns (steamed or baked) that dominate the dim sum scene. I recently learned about a new way to cook them: deep-fried. Where has this dish been all my life? Move over state fair fried food (fried avocado, deep-fried Twinkies, fried Coca-Cola…), there’s a new player in town.